By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq. | Last reviewed July 21, 2022
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The Fifth Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1791, along with nine others that together became known as the Bill of Rights. It encompasses several important protections, especially for people facing criminal charges. One of the most essential, and probably the most well-known, is the protection against self-incrimination.
Learn more about the Fifth Amendment below. And if you think you or someone close to you have experienced a violation of your Fifth Amendment rights, contact a lawyer right away.
"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
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